


Goodbye Until Tomorrow

by kevinfreakinsolo



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Anxious Racetrack Higgins, Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Good Boyfriend Spot Conlon, M/M, Soft Spot Conlon, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:28:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24230587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kevinfreakinsolo/pseuds/kevinfreakinsolo
Summary: Race gets accepted to his dream school. But it means he would have to leave Spot.
Relationships: Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Goodbye Until Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> I pretty much just wrote this for me to work through what is happening to me with my school and relationship situation and have my favorite characters handle it better than I am

Race used one hand to open his email, the other being occupied by Spot’s. He felt his grip tighten as he finally opened it and they read it together. _It is our pleasure to inform you…_

They sat in silence for a minute as the implications of the words on the screen set in.

“You have to go,” Spot finally said, with tears in his eyes. That was a surprise. Race could count on one hand the number of times he had ever seen him cry the entire time he had known him.

Race sighed and shook his head. “It may not even be worth it,” he replied. “I’d still have to go thousands of dollars in debt, and it may not even work out.”

Spot traced circles into his hand with his thumb. “Race, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. This is your dream school, and they’re giving you the biggest scholarship they’ve got. You’d be crazy not to.”

“The biggest scholarship they got don’t cover everything, babe,” he said as he stood up and began to pace. “I dunno if I’m good enough to be able to get out from under all dat debt once I graduate.” 

On a whim, Race had applied to one of the best performing arts schools in the country. He had realized he could never truly pursue anything but dance, and he wanted to go to a stronger school for it. Not only did he get accepted into the program, they gave him the biggest financial aid package they offered. But Race did not come from money and he couldn’t pay a dime for his education. He’d have to take out the rest in loans. And it was a private school, which meant the loans would not be small.

“Don’t it say somethin’ to ya talent dat one’a the best schools in the country for dance wants ya bad enough to give ya the biggest package they got? You deserve to go somewheres they take you serious. Not here, Racer. You n’I both know ya suffocating here.”

“It ain’t jus me, though,” he said quietly. “I’d hafta leave youz behind.” Spot had a full ride to the state school in the small college town they went to. His family was here. As much as Spot hated this town, it wouldn’t make sense for him to come with Race. And they both knew it.

“Racer… people come an’ go, but youz was meant to dance. Ya gotta go somewheres they teach ya properly. This is your life we’re talkin’ ‘bout, not jus’ some college relationship.”

Those words stung. Race froze in his tracks and stared at Spot. “Is dat really all this is to ya? I’m jus’ ya college boyfriend?”

“No, of course not. That ain’t what I meant,” said Spot, standing up and grabbing his hands. He brought them to his lips and gave them a tender kiss, then spoke quietly. “But babe, I’m jus’ one person. If I’m the thing holdin’ ya back, I ain’t neva gonna forgive myself.”

Race looked down, tears filling his eyes as well. “What if ya forget ‘bout me, though?” he whispered.

“Aw, c’mon, Racer, you know that ain’t neva gonna happen,” he said, squeezing his hands and gently swinging them. “‘Sides, you’ll be surrounded by otha artists jus’ like youz. Not like in this town where everyone is white and comin’ from a total of five towns within two hours’a here. If anyone’s gonna be forgettin’ ‘bout anyone…”

“Don’t you dare,” Race said coldly. Spot was his first boyfriend, and the only person he had ever loved this way. They had something extraordinary together. Race felt like he was caught between two different once-in-a-lifetime chances: One of them the life he had always wanted, across the country; the other the love he had always dreamed of, right in front of him. 

“Well, this don’t hafta be goodbye forever for us,” said Spot. “We got phones for a reason. And cars. And buses. Planes. Babe, this ain’t an opportunity that comes ‘round every day. And you know I’ll always be here for ya, wheneva you come back.”

Race shook his head. “Is it really all dat smart for me ta bury myself in debt for this? Jus’ cuz it’s my dream, or whateva?” He let go of Spot’s hands and turned around, taking a few steps away to think aloud. “Maybe I oughta jus’ stay here and do somethin’ normal, like business. I could be a business major.” He turned back around to look at Spot. They held eye contact for a second, then both immediately burst out laughing.

“You know I would neva be wid a business major, love. If you did that, you’d be givin’ up both me and dance,” Spot said as he calmed down, only partially sarcastic. 

“I know, I know. I jus’ sometimes wish I could do somethin’ normal. It’d be so much easier,” Race lamented with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Yeah, but babe, you’d neva settle for easy. Das why you came to school undeclared, das why ya fell in love wid me, and das why you could neva do nothin’ but the arts.” He grabbed his hand and gave it another kiss. “And das why you hafta go. Your future financials be damned, Racer. You’ve found somethin’ special an’ if ya let it go now, you’ll regret it for the rest’a ya life.”

“What if you’re my somethin’ special?” Race asked, looking into his deep, soulful brown eyes. “What if I let ya go an’ regret dat the rest’a my life?”

Spot took a deep breath. He knew how much Race cared for him, but he could not let that be the reason he didn’t go. “People find love all the time, Racer. But most everyone chases their dreams their whole life and never get the chance to have ‘em. Ya can’t throw away this chance on my account. I won’t letcha.”

Race bit his lip and shook his head. He turned around and sat back down on the bed. A tear finally fell from his eyes which had been welled up the whole time. “Babe, is it really worth it? I mean, do ya really think I have a chance?”

Spot came and sat right next to him and held his hand. “I think you have a better chance than anyone in the world.” He laced their fingers together and lifted his hand to give it another kiss. “I think you are the most beautiful dancer of all time.” He gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I think anyone who ever tries to dispute that is an idiot and I hate them and I will destroy them.” He stood up, then stooped down in front of Race so they were face-to-face, and gave him a gentle kiss on his nose. “And I think you would be an idiot to think anything differently.” He knelt down on the floor and grabbed both of Race’s hands, then spoke in a hushed voice. “Babe, if you don’t do this, I’m always going to be worried sick about you. There’s nothing on earth that you love as much as dance, and if you try to pursue anything else, you will be absolutely miserable.”

Race sniffled and squeezed Spot’s hands in his. “There is one thing,” he said, his voice finally cracking. "One thing I love as much as dance," he managed before he let out a gentle sob. 

Spot stood up, then straddled Race in a koala-bear hug as he remained seated on the bed. “I know, baby,” he said, feeling his own voice going up as he fought the tears that threatened to spill over. “I know. But if it was me, what would you say?” he asked, tenderly tracing circles into his back with his fingertips.

Spot felt Race’s body shake against his as he started to cry. He didn’t need to answer, because they both knew he would be telling him exactly what Spot was telling him now. As the reality of their situation set in, Race felt Spot tighten his embrace and they held each other for as long as they could while they still had the chance.

**Author's Note:**

> So basically, Spot and Race go to this state school together. Race had been undeclared but realized he needed to pursue dance in a serious way, so he applied to transfer to this new school.


End file.
